Excerpts

From Chapter 9 – Narrow the Focus to Build a Team

"The word 'corporate' has taken on many meanings over the years (often negative) that bear little resemblance to its original meaning. Corporate, as it is classically defined, means to form one body of many members. This definition offers an opportunity to see organizational life and our place in it differently and with better effect.

The corporate body and its members are each inextricably tied to the other. Every organization - family, business, volunteer, partnership – is nothing more and nothing less than its members. Strong corporate bodies are formed of strong members, and each member benefits from a strong corporate body. If the organization becomes less capable, more vulnerable to competition, the members suffer. If just one member of the body gains new skills or contributes more, the entire body is strengthened. If one develops lazy habits, the whole body is weakened. Who then should care about the development of a strong corporate body? The answer is: everyone. When strong, effective leaders take a relentless approach to strengthening the corporate bodies they lead, they are serving everyone who participates in them.

How do we build strong corporate bodies? One member, one situation at a time - understanding that the performance of one affects all. Effective leaders appreciate that each memberís performance is important, so they narrow their focus to build the body. Teams will fall short of their potential if their leaders donít fully appreciate the power of this reality: that each member, each performance matters."

From Chapter 10, Create a Culture that Brings Out the Best

"Some leaders become victims of culture, the best become architects of culture. Culture is a powerful force, best defined as the unique set of values and practices that make one group different from another. Culture is what makes two accounting firms different places at which to work. They perform similar tasks, but the way people go about it is different. Every organization has its own culture. Most are a mix of good and bad characteristics. Great leaders know that shaping a strong culture purposefully is a significant factor in building a high performance team.

Leaders seldom give culture the attention it deserves. Try to build performance in a poor culture and it will feel like trying to push a rope. Consider these contrasting values: hard work versus laziness, quality versus sloppiness, truthfulness verses deceit, optimism versus pessimism, and you get the idea. Culture can create distractions and preoccupations or it can bring out the best in everyone.

Selfish ambition, unhealthy competition, gossip, and other destructive qualities can diminish an organization for all involved. Changing the facets of culture that are holding back your team is central to your mission. where teams are divisive, strong leaders confront this and unite them. When people gossip, they put a stop to it.

The most lasting way to change how people perform is to change the culture in which they work. Build your culture on the foundation of strong values. Stamp out negative values and practices and instil the best ones, such as achievement, friendship, co-operation, and hard work. I spent a lot of time working on culture with each team I led. I considered it among my most important worthwhile work. Do people you lead turn a blind eye to bad news, shrink from challenges, or avoid accountability? These are just a few of the cultural challenges good leaders face."

From Chapter 18, Make Every Performance Count

"An aversion to conflict can prevent leaders from confronting performance problems. Because their aversion is often greater than their frustration with the problem, they avoid confrontation. Eventually, the frustration mounts until they do something. By this time, they are usually more emotional and less effective than they should be. When you can accept constructive conflict as a normal part of your work you are more likely to act before the situation escalates, and you will be less prone to overreact.

Catching problems early is critical. As noted in an earlier chapter, people are able to make small changes more readily than big ones, especially when problems are corrected before they become hardened habits. They are also more likely to appreciate the connection between positive behaviours and success when it is pointed out promptly. Delays intensify the trauma when bad habits are finally confronted."